June 2021 – As we drove down the canyon following a stream, my friend Val and I couldn’t help but notice how much gear everyone was wearing to fish. The usual: waders, plus vest, lanyards, pouches and all the accessories. It seems fly-fishing has suffered from gear inflation over the years. There is a definite “look” and it certainly appears to require a lot of gear. We found an empty pull out, took an Ito out of the trunk and our small pouch with the basics. We setup a line. 6 minutes later Val had a fish, a beautiful rainbow of good size for that stream. There was little for gear but much joy out of the experience of pulling over, catching a fish, and continuing on to new grounds all while wearing comfortable clothes and sandals. Fishing simply.
